The EE Sampler - Jefferson County Public Schools

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Liz Gramiak Life as a Second-hand Smoker I have been hurt by cigarette smoke my entire life. It has been something that I have had to face every day. Yet, the interesting fact is that I have only ever smoked second-hand. I secondhand smoke every time I walk behind a smoker, every time I walk past the smoking section to get to the non-smoking section, every time somebody lights up a cigarette in my presence, every time I leave a building and take a deep breath hoping for fresh air to fill my lungs instead of gaseous nicotine and tar. Cigarette smoke has made me sick--physically, mentally, and emotionally. From a very young age I was aware of the dangerous effects of cigarettes. My parents both smoked for much of their early adulthood. They started smoking as teenagers and continued until I was born. Later they started smoking again, and didn’t stop until my little sister was born. It was around this time that my mother received the worst news of her life. She was told that she had breast cancer. Upon hearing this news, both of my parents quit smoking…for good. Looking back on my childhood I recall many visits to the doctor for illnesses such as: respiratory infections (bronchitis, and possible asthma), chronic ear infections (and ultimately surgery to correct the problem), poor nutrition, cavities, and even a cigarette burn on my arm at one time (caused by getting too close to Mommy while she was smoking). It was not until recently that I discovered all of these to be effects of exposure to cigarette smoke. I have also been physically affected by smoke as a teenager and as a young adult. When I was in high school I was exposed to smoke by way of my friends (whose parents smoked). I remember several birthday party sleepovers at my friends’ houses. Even though the parties were a lot of fun, what I remember most is that their parents smoked. Every time I went to one of these parties, I would leave the next day with a sore throat, itchy, red eyes, and a bad headache. Since I’ve been a college student I haven’t had to face smoking from parents; only smoking from students. Thanks to these smokers I have difficulty breathing every now and then (usually when someone blows smoke into my face), and I also get migraines (super headaches) when I smell cigarette smoke. However, cigarette smoking makes me more than just physically ill. It makes me mentally ill as well. As a child I had a few attention and anxiety problems. I was a child my parents referred 11
Liz Gramiak to as “fussy” and one that “could never sit still”. In school I was the same way. I had a hard time focusing on schoolwork, and I acted before thinking about the consequences. I was also a very shy child. I was always nervous and worried about almost everything. These symptoms are related to exposure to cigarette smoke. So, sometimes I wonder if these problems may have been caused by my being exposed to smoke. While cigarette smoke has made me sick physically and mentally, it has hurt me the most emotionally. I have lost two people to the effects of cigarettes. My mother’s father smoked most of his life. He exposed his entire family to second-hand smoke. It may not have been known at the time that cigarette smoke was dangerous, and that may be why he did not see the need to stop smoking. Nonetheless, my Uncle Albert died as a young infant of SIDS (a phenomena called sudden infant death syndrome). My mother suffered from a mild form of dyslexia (a learning disorder where people mix up letters and numbers in their minds) while growing up. She later was diagnosed with breast cancer. All of my aunts (as well as my mother) are now (or have been) smokers themselves (one of which was recently diagnosed with cervical cancer, and one of which has a heart problem). All of these problems may have been related to their exposure to cigarette smoke. Aside from the emotional pain caused by the many health problems of those whom I love, I also suffer every day from cigarette smoke’s negative effects. One day I was waiting at a stoplight while on my way home when I noticed a car pull up next to me. The driver and the person in the passenger seat were both smoking cigarettes. They had their windows rolled up, and smoke was everywhere in the car. A little baby was sitting in the back seat. All I could think of was how awful a scene it was. That poor baby was being exposed to something that could cause many problems later in life. It hurt my heart to think that he could be harmed by people who were supposed to protect him. I see examples such as this one everywhere, and it always hurts me to see it. I am a second-hand smoker. Not by choice, but by the fact that I live under a cloud of cigarette smoke. This thing which I can’t control has made me sick. It has hurt me physically by giving me breathing problems. It has hurt me mentally by taking away my sense of control and leaving me with panic and nervousness. Finally it has hurt me emotionally by hurting the people I love, and by attacking those too innocent and weak to protect themselves. 12
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The EE Sampler - Jefferson County Public Schools

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